The Triumph of Sociobiology

In The Triumph of Sociobiology John Alcock reviews the controversy that has surrounded evolutionary studies of human social behavior following the 1975 publication of E.O. Wilson''s classic Sociobiology The New Synthesis. Denounced vehemently as an ideology that has justified social evils and inequalities sociobiology has survived the assault. Twenty-five years after the field was named by Wilson the approach he championed has successfully demonstrated its value in the study of animal behavior including the behavior of our own species. Yet misconceptions remain--to our disadvantage. In this straight-forward objective approach to the sociobiology debate noted animal behaviorist John Alcock illuminates how sociobiologists study behavior in all species. He confronts the chief scientific and ideological objections head on with a compelling analysis of case histories that involve such topics as sexual jealousy beauty gender difference parent-offspring relations and rape. In so doing he shows that sociobiology provides the most satisfactory evolutionary analysis of social behavior today. A clear evocative and accurate account of the history and content on the subject inviting to the student and the general reader alike.--Edward O. Wilson Harvard University.